A new dementia treatment with quieting focus, subtle sound vibration, and intentional shared silence: Introducing Resonant Silence Technique: Innovative practice

High levels of sensory stimuli in care facilities have been shown to negatively affect people with dementia. This article describes the development and application of Resonant Silence Technique which endeavors to create a calming and peaceful atmosphere through multiple periods of silence following sound. The use of a quieting environment, subtle sound, and intentional silence is reported to help people with dementia feel less anxious, more relaxed and cooperative, emotionally appreciative, empathetic, and to improve eye contact and communication. Other positive benefits include improvements in concentration. Suggestions are made for further work to measure the impact of this approach.